Locked in the Trunk of a Car
1992 single by the Tragically Hip
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Locked in the Trunk of a Car" is a song by Canadian rock band the Tragically Hip. It was released in October 1992 as the lead single from their third studio album, Fully Completely. The song peaked at No. 11 on Canada's RPM Singles Chart.[1]
| "Locked in the Trunk of a Car" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Single by the Tragically Hip | ||||
| from the album Fully Completely | ||||
| Released | October 1992 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 4:42 | |||
| Label | MCA | |||
| Songwriter | the Tragically Hip | |||
| Producer | Chris Tsangarides | |||
| The Tragically Hip singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Alternative Cover | ||||
 | ||||
Background
The song had been fully written and performed live a year before the recording of Fully Completely, although elements of the song date back even further. The intro riff was composed in the late 1980s by the band's bassist, Gord Sinclair, on an acoustic guitar,[2] and lyrics that would end up part of the song date back to a story that Gord Downie told in a 1991 live performance of the song "Highway Girl," which was released as the B-Side to the single "Twist My Arm".[3]
Many fans of the band have speculated that Gord Downie wrote the song about the kidnapping and murder of Pierre Laporte, the Minister of Labour in Quebec, by the FLQ during the October Crisis in 1970. This is because Laporte's corpse was found locked in the trunk of a car.[4][5] Downie never confirmed this interpretation,[5] and has stated that the lyrics are a metaphor.[6]
Music video
The music video for the song features a transition between the band playing on a soundstage and a man locked in a car trunk with his hands tied in rope, as another man (played by the band's road manager Dave Powell) drives the car around the Canadian Prairies.[7][better source needed] The video was directed by Peter Henderson and produced by Eric Yealland. Cinematographer was Sean Valentini.[7][better source needed]
The video won the award for "Best Video" at the 1993 Canadian Music Video Awards.[8] The video was also nominated in the "Best Video" category at the 1993 Juno Awards.[9]
Covers
- Singer-songwriter Justin Rutledge covered the song for his 2014 album Daredevil, an album consisting entirely of Tragically Hip covers.[10]
- Our Lady Peace performed a cover of the song during their 30th anniversary tour in 2025.[11]
Track listing
All tracks are written by the Tragically Hip.[12]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Locked in the Trunk of a Car" | 4:38 |
| 2. | "Courage (for Hugh MacLennan)/Locked in the Trunk of a Car" (Live) | 8:55 |
| Total length: | 13:33 | |
Charts
| Chart (1992) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian RPM Singles Chart[1] | 11 |